Speaker 1: What is up Fellasico's I am Dana Valley coming at
you with another twenty twenty five twenty twenty six NBA
season look ahead. We're on to a small market team
called the Los Angeles Lakers, which means I get to
be joined by which I think is We've been doing
this seven years and I'm pretty sure he's done every
single Lakers one with me. I might be miss speaking there.
Jabbari A. Davis, iHeart podcast producer extraordinary. Follow him on
the social machine at jabbari A Davis. He might be
different on Twitter, but I'll have the links to all
his social stuff in the YouTube and podcast description. Jabbari
Welcome back. I'm so excited to get to talk to
you this year, as I am every year.
Speaker 2: How the heck are you doing my favorite, my absolute
favorite part of the summer every single year. And I'm
not just saying that I didn't realize it had been
seven Like in my notes, I even wrote down this
has to be like year four or five. That's amazing,
and I'm just honored that I've been able to swindle
you enough to wor think that I'm the appropriate person
that have each year.
Speaker 1: You are the appropriate person, because this team is always
just true to La. It's always so over dramatic, like
you just had to go trade for Luca, like you
could have just had a season like a regular season.
Speaker 2: No, there's no such thing in Los Angeles. Well, no,
with the with the Lakers.
Speaker 1: We don't have to relitigate the Luca trade. I'm sure
everyone's tired of hearing about that. I want to ask you,
I think what's been most divisive about them this summer
is the direction that they've gone in to where the
big stuff was. They didn't apparently didn't offer Lebron a
deal that would have extended beyond this year, which Lucas
twenty six, Lebron is going to enter his age forty
one season. You kind of get it. But they also
went I don't want to say the full on placeholder out,
but they're trying to straddle a very interesting territory of
we want to be flexible for when the next big
move is available to us, and so we're not going
to make any all in moves this summer. With the caveat,
they didn't have a ton of financial flexibility anyway. So
just from the saying good bye to Dorian Finney, Smith
to going with eight and Jake Lavia and Marcus Smart.
What have you made of their their off season in general?
Speaker 2: So Dan, I promised myself, I wasn't going to come
in here for and now I'll edit year seven of
just lapping up every single thing that they do and
you know, waxing poetic about the moves that they made.
I will say this, I was cautiously optimistic, and I
ended up being right.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 2: I went in given all of you, all of the
restrictions that they were working with, given the realities of
that roster that it really needs a full reset at
some point over the next couple of years, I thought, Hey,
if they can just add a starting level center, I'd
actually be happy because I thought, and I thought, truth
be told, I thought it was going to take all
of the assets that they all of the real, realistic
assets that they had in order to do well.
Speaker 1: In your defense, they tried to give them all to
the Hornets for Mark Williams at one point. So I
don't blame you for.
Speaker 2: That, and I was one hundred percent wrong. When I
was like, yeah, go ahead, it doesn't I was still roll.
I'm sure you remember the exchange. I was still rolling
so high on the Hey we got we got Luca,
you'll train that. I was like, I don't care, give
it all.
Speaker 1: Give it all the way, risk it all.
Speaker 2: Risk it all. Hey, you know what I've been known
as a risk it all guy. No. So I say
all of that to say, did I expect it to
look like this? No? But am I disappointed in it? No?
I'm not unproving guys. Uh, multiple guys have you know,
definitely have stuff to prove. But when I look at
this roster, it's a lot more balanced and a lot
closer to what it I hope it eventually looks like
than it was just two three months ago.
Speaker 1: I did not like them losing Dorian Phinney Smith on
the deal that he got because of the two guaranteed years.
I am very curious to know how much of that
had to do with him wanted to get back to Texas,
maybe factoring in the tax difference. But when you start
to think about it, some of the alternative outcomes would
have been would you have preferred having Smart Ayton Jake
Larevia or would you prefer of having Dorrian Phinney Smith?
And then probably Ayton would have been the one I
like they could have gotten one of those three guys
and eight and I assuming would have been the one
they prioritize, just given the Jackson Hayes PTSD that everyone
is working through. So I think when you break it
down that way, it makes their offseason feel a lot
not just justifiable, but a lot better because I do
think that I actually do think people are kind of
overrated or not overrating, but they're kind of just assuming that, yeah,
if this was twenty twenty one, it'd be fantastic, But
like Marcus Smart and DeAndre Ayton, neither of those dudes
are known quantities right now. But again, I think if
you say, hey, we were able to get these three
guys instead of boiling it down to Dorrian Phinney Smith
and let's say one of them, I think that I
think that's the lens through which to view their offseason,
and that's if you want to support it. I think
that's the pathway to saying, like, no, this made a
ton of sense.
Speaker 2: Like so one of the things also, well, one of
the most lanering things about you know what went wrong
at the end of last year was we got into
the postseason and all of a sudden it was like,
not only is do they have a short rotation, they
have no rotation to where at the end of that
final game. If I'm not mistaken, not only did he
play Maxi Kleiba, but he did not play but he
be and JJ, whom we're going to discuss later on.
But he did not play Jackson Hayes at all. Like
to the point where like when when you're at a
place where you have a legitimate shot to win a
game and you decide to go with the same starters
for the entire second half, you probably have a depth issue.
You probably have you probably have an issue that needs
to be addressed. And from that perspective alone, yes there
are question marks for these guys. But from that perspective alone, yes,
I would rather have more depth at your like you know,
added youth with with Laravia, again an unproven player, but
someone that if you squint you can say, like, oh, okay,
I can see where they were going with that that
that that could be you know, like you know, he
could eat up some of those Dory in Phinney Smith minutes.
You know, if if the fit is right, I'm I'm
I'm a lot happier with this than I would have
been Honestly, if they had just gone that route, if
they had just brought back Dorian. I get it, the connection,
I get I get the connection with Luca. But quite frankly,
if it were going to be a real issue, then
I think they bite the bullet and do that. I
think because like, let's be real, they went to Luca
and said like, hey, this is what we got going on.
If the you know, the fact that they went that
route tells me that he was okay with Yeah.
Speaker 1: I'm not only was he okay with it, so he
signs the extension, but he recruited Smart and DeAndre Ayden,
so that's a big thing too. And Jake Laavia is
the player on this roster who's like the most JJ Redick.
Like if JJ Redex still his podcast, he would devote
like not all he would say something like not a
lot of people are gonna know who this guy is,
but Jake Laaravia is like a pretty big X factor.
Before we get to the actual basketball part of all this,
we do have to spend some time on Lebron James.
What do you make of this entire situation and how
do you ultimately see it ending? Is this just gonna
play out this season when we visit it summer. Is
there a chance for some passive aggressive fireworks here? It
feels like, I know people have come up with excuses
like the the Clippers workout post, we're at the Clippers
logo in the background. Oh that was their old arena.
Lebron knows how everything is going to be interpreted, so
I interpreted as at least a little bit passive aggressive.
But what's just your read on the dynamic between Lebron
and the Lakers franchise right now?
Speaker 2: I think we're on the same exact page. I think that,
you know, like Lebron has been in this league long
enough quite frankly, for us to like not just no
his strategies, to just be over it all together. Just
to be clear, I am not one of those Lakers
fans or Los Angeles or like you know NBA fans
that says like, you know what, old man, get the
hell out of here. But the Lakers made a very
clear decision when they did not offer reportedly did not
offer that second year or you know, the opportunity even
the opportunity to have that discussion they made. They explained
to him like, look, we see this as we have
another year. Obviously there's always opportunity to reafvent you eight
at the end of the day year, but we see
this as we have one year. So do you want
this opportunity or do you not? And I honestly think
did Lebron While he's obviously smart enough to recognize, like, yeah,
they're they're doing what's in the best interest of the franchise.
They're not completely hanging me out, but they're not going
to just be in my corner anymore. And I honestly
personally think that that bothers him. Do I think that
it's going to blow up? No, because if he wanted
to actually technically leave, he doesn't opt in, and there's
gonna be somebody that's gonna find a way to bring
him in. He obviously looked at the scenario and said,
do I love you know? Or do I love necessarily
not being you know, like your front and center of everything,
or you're like the biggest thing in the universe. No,
But does playing alongside Luca give me the probably my
best opportunity to win. And I think he did that
math in recognized let me get my fifty million and
let me get another opportunity that you're like, you're like
to do this now. If things go and it doesn't,
you know, like like the fit just doesn't work, or
you know, you know, knock on your knock on wood,
Luca goes down or somebody goes down. Hey, we got
to talk about this again midway through the season, because look,
Lebron also recognizes it. And this is in respect to
you know, I understand it. This is this might be
the final or the best final chance for him. So
if something goes wrong, we'll be having this conversation again.
If it goes great, and you know, they go through
the season, then they make a deep run, whether they
win or lose, we'll still be having this conversation again
because at the end of the day, a forty one
year old Lebron, whether we are we the royal, we
are tired of the antics or not, is still a
dang good I edited it because I couldn't remember whether
you can cuss on here, it's still you want still
a no, still a damn good player. And you know what,
as long as he as long as he can still
be a damn good player, it's it's still going to
be a conversation that warrants being held.
Speaker 1: This has to be the inflammatory portion of the podcast.
Very just simple asked or no to two questions. Is
Lebron James on the Lakers past the trade deadline?
Speaker 2: Yes?
Speaker 1: Is he on the Lakers for the twenty twenty six
twenty seven season.
Speaker 2: If they win a title or go to the finals?
But if not, no, he is not.
Speaker 1: That's gonna be a huge By the way, I think
people will probably laugh at me asking that question. That's
gonna be a huge subplot of the entire season. It's
gonna cast a pal over success or failure for the
Lakers that it's just going to be there. Probably have
enough veterans in there that it won't be a capslock distraction,
but that's going to be You think First Takes not
gonna run with this? Is it still called first take? Right?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's gonna That's gonna be tackled at least twice
a week.
Speaker 2: It's going to be a constant part of the conversation.
But you know what, I hate to say this like
this with if you're a Lakers fan, you're a longtime
Lakers fan, you are not. This is nothing new. This
is not your first rodeo this is not the look.
This is not the first time we've had someone that
warrants a lot of attention, and it's not going to
be the last time. So end of the day, just
go out there and hoop, man, Just go out there
and hoop. Let you know, first, let first take do
what first take does. Let the podcasts, uh, you know,
do what the podcast do. Let's go out there and hoop.
Speaker 1: What did you make of JJ Redick's first year as
head coach? Like, what did you kind of take away
about his guiding principles? Because I think a lot of
the things that we assumed he would harp on we
saw something. We saw a great deal of them at
the beginning of the season, the basics stuff, I mean,
like the more nuanced stuff. I'm sure you know the
x's and oh's heads will say, yeah, like he implemented
all of this stuff. What are just your like takeaways
though from that year one about his guiding principles as
a head coach.
Speaker 2: I think if you if you're being honest, if you're
being honest about him, you have to acknowledge he did
a good job and and and and what that means
can be a lot of different things. To different people.
But what it means to me is I went into
it caustiously optimistic and saying, Okay, is he is he
a dude that's just like getting hooked up because of
the connections that he has within or is he genuinely
going to develop into the next young great head coach.
I was not all in, all on board, but I
was at least hopeful. He showed me enough in last
season in managing what was far from a perfect roster
and dealing with a major you know, roster shakeup midway
through the year, to which quite frankly, it was not
prepared for to how he was able to, you know,
quite frankly deal with, you know, like just coaching Lebron.
I don't care if they had a podcast prior to this.
I don't care if there is respect, you know, and
and reverence prior to this. It's a different conversation when you,
you know, when you're actually coaching that person. And the
way that he was able to do that I was
impressed by. Now I'm not saying it's a plus, you
know plus, because there were some problems. There were Quite frankly,
I think that he will learn from the way that
he handled that rotation down the stretch because regards wardless
of whether you feel like you can trust you know,
this player or this player simply isn't picking up the
you know, picking up the schemes, you have to deal.
You have to, you know, manage your roster simply better
you have. You have to work with what you have
to work with. What you got better than what he did.
And I think he will do that. But in terms
of the strategy, in terms of implementing you know, like
you know, like uh, you know, his his ideology in
terms of getting the most out of a majority of
the roster, I think he did that. I just think
that it can be built upon and I I am
I look, I'm far more optimistic now, but I'm also
still I'm still reserving the But he is a hot head.
And you know what it uh when he starts to grind,
I at least look over there and go like, okay,
somebody get JJ, like somebody did, like somebody called him down.
So basically, he's a young head coach. I'm not expecting
the world, but he's set up far better than he
was before.
Speaker 1: I liked definitely what he Other thing I like most
is what he the way he used Austin Reeves. I
think that was easily that, Like people outside of Los
Angeles were talking about Austin Reeves' is like, oh, could
this guy be an All Star? And it was not.
They weren't being ironic. They did take more corner threes,
they crashed the offensive glass a little bit more, and
I actually think they probably would have done more had
they not been so damn small, like even when they
had a D They're not especially big team. So I
was I was encouraged, and I think that was my
primary takeaway with him. But you're right the playoff series stuff,
the rotation, playing all those guys in the second half
of that game against the Wolves year one though I
know the pressures there because it's La you have Lebron
all of a sudden, you have Luca year one like
living and also who did you want like it like,
had Gabe Vincent played more? Like are the Lakers making
it to this?
Speaker 2: No? No, not probably not like and and and I'm
glad that you said it so that I can follow
up with that. I'm not saying that they had great options.
All I'm saying is you can't do that, and and
and again right, I'm sure he recognizes it.
Speaker 1: So what were your impressions of We'll get to the
new protein shake with almond milk Luka in a second,
but what were your initial impressions of just that lukadtriche
experience in Los Angeles?
Speaker 2: Okay, So I may disappoint some people here. I was like, Yo,
this dude is fat and he's still good. But and
I can say this as the local fat guy on
this podcast, I'm not shaming. I'm acknowledging that when he
got there he was out of shape. He had been.
The layoff was very clear. And also to be clear,
I understand you're dealing with a calf injury. You're dealing
with a situation like that. You're not You're simply not
going to be able to stay in you know, you'll
staying in great condition. So I but I'm pre I'm
setting that up to say he was still a damn
good basketball player, even out of shape, even given all
the crazy circumstances, even likely being disoriented because of the shock,
you know, the shock or being shocked by you know,
like by the move, he was still darn good. The
pieces around on him certainly were not set up to
you know, like you know, to benefit him and he
was still finding him. Wait, they still were They still
win and if I'm not mistaking, like a twenty and
four run, even though it was very obvious and very
evident that those parts were not you know, you know,
we're not you know, jiving. Well, so if you're asking me,
you know what my initial thoughts were. My initial thoughts were,
if he just gets into shape, you know, you know,
which is a different conversation now or do you want
to transition into now?
Speaker 1: Or well? I think I think it they they kind
of dovetail nicely. Is because there's probably a level of,
all right, are people making too much of a deal
about Luca being in shape? I think they are in
the sense that we've seen Luca in shape before. A
lot of it is probably when he was coming into
the league. A lot of it is can he maintain
that conditioning throughout the entire season and if that's something
that has clicked for him, which, by the way, I
understand it's different because there's a let they're being paid
millions upon millions of dollars, you weren't. There are very
few people like Lebron James that are taking excellent care
of their body in their early in mid twenties, like
he is just he's one of one in so many respects,
and that includes just the body maintenance, the work he's
putting in. But there's also so why I do think
people might be overstating, like just the the aesthetics of
it all like that, get past the aesthetics already, Like
it's just we've seen hyper effective play like they don't.
Nikoliokich doesn't fit anyone's ideal aesthetic. He's the best basketball
player in the world with Luca, though, if I don't
even wanna say, if the wait stays off, if this
Felk build holds, we might get more blow by Luca
to where he was when you look at like his
two point percentage imploded in La his rim percentage with
Lebron off the floor dropped by more than fourteen points.
If he no longer is reliant on having someone else
who's gonna draw in defenses like that while he has
away from the ball, So while he has the ball,
if he can get by guys more often, that's gonna do.
Like the offense I think they're in. The Luca minutes
were like already pretty damn good last year. That's going
to like we saw that in kind of early heyday Luca.
If that part of him is backed where he's not
as reliant as I want to generate physical separation or
get to my step back all the time, if there's
just another layer of variance to what's already one of
the most transcendent offensive talents in NBA history. That there
is no overstating mat Ben.
Speaker 2: Last year he was he was operating in what's it
called in traffic most of the time because it couldn't
get by, You couldn't fully get past people, couldn't get
his shoulders, you know, fully past people. When he was
met at the rim, it was, you know, like just
trying to gut it up there, you know what I mean.
Imagine Luca operating in space and that and that in
itself for me is exciting as all hell. I do
think you like, like, look, are we gonna suddenly start
seeing him like NBA jam you know, Leo style stuff. No,
I don't think that's going to be the case. But
if it equates to more blowbys, if it equates to
half a sex, you know, extra time or a quarter
second extra space, you know, what I mean, if you
know a guy that did the defender is usually here,
but now he's here, and you just have a clear
plaine of vision like like like you know from the
mid range, you know on the other end of the court.
Is it gonna be a lockdown on the fender. No,
But if he can simply just turn his hips, stay
in front of somebody, push yea more switching, all of
that stuff matters. But more than he like, like even
more than those things. If it all if all of
a sudden in the fourth quarters this you know, he's
looking as fresh, he's looking fresh and not just completely
beaten and worn down. That stuff matters. I'm not trying
to put dubs on things, but i will say I'm
putting dubs on it. I'm I'm extremely excited about about
like the condition that he's in. One hundred percent agreed,
it's a matter of whether he maintains it over the
course of the season. But part of me does think
that part of me thinks that, especially at least in
this season. Okay, I'm gonna make a comparison for you
two thousand shack. Phil came you know, Phil came in
and said, hey, get your big butt into shape, do this,
do that, and you'll win. You'll win an MVP and
you'll win your first title. I'm not saying, like, look,
there doesn't need to be a fill in this situation,
even though JJ did straight out say it at the
end of the year, like, hey, everybody's got to come
in championship shape, and you know, like and he was
obviously talking about his you know, his main.
Speaker 1: Guy, Lebron.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Lebron, get your gets you gets your
old No, you're talking about Luca and everybody else, of course,
But like the Phil Jackson of it, all is everything.
It's the expectation, it's the Okay, now it's now I'm
I've got my feet beneath me. So now let me
really go out there and show. I'm extremely excited about
what this you know about what this is going to
look like. Again, health is wealth in all of life,
but especially especially when it comes to like the NBA
NBA court. If he stays on the court, I'm expecting
the MVP season from him. I'm expecting a deep run.
I'm expecting Luca to not show because lucas everybody already knows,
but I'm expecting him to have that mindset of I'm
about to show you, guys, and that's exciting.
Speaker 1: The Other part of his arrival that I find fascinatings,
what have you made of the Luca Lebron Austin Reeves dynamic?
So far? The defense was bad with them on the floor.
Some of that is opponents shot the hell out of
a forty one percent on threes, seventy plus percent at
the rim, But like, what do you make of how?
And look, he came mid season, so it's tough to
kind of figure that out. But what do you make
of like the level of interplay between them? How? How
do you just like that fit? What are you watching
for entering next season? Wherever you want to take it?
Because I just find their dynamic together fascinating.
Speaker 2: I thought initially there was a redundancy, and obviously that
redundancy still exists, But I thought initially there was a
redundancy that I don't know that it I didn't know
that it justified, uh, you know, like the the lackluster defense,
the inability to you know, put together even a comprehension
or even a competent defensive scheme, just you know, because
of the weaknesses. But now and after seeing them play
together long enough, I reckonized that, look, these are three
very intelligent, you know, like you know the basketball players.
They're gonna find a way to make it work out there.
The only thing is, and this may be controversial, because
people get people get very sensitive about like their players
and the players that they really like. To be clear,
and I've made it obvious, I very much like and
value Austin Reeves. I think i'd like like I may.
I made that clear a couple of years ago. And
if I almost feel like it was on this show
where you may have asked me, are Lakers fans putting
extras on him the same way they used to with Caruso?
And I I I was, we were right about Caruso,
and we're right about we're right about Reeves. But I
think they'd be better off if they staggered those you know,
the staggered those minutes a bit. I think Reeve's coming
off the bench makes a lot more sense. I recognize
he's in a contract year, he wants to get paid.
I watch I have watched incredibly dominant six men, you know,
be highly effective in the years past. I am in
no way carrying him to monogenobly. But I will say
they the spurs of that era, were able to stagger
things in ways to where it benefited them for forty
eight minutes, as opposed to simply just throwing out like
the on paper best starting lineup. I say all of
this saying I don't think they're going to do it,
but I think it would make a hell of a
lot of sense if they would stagger some of those,
you know, stagger some of that by putting, you know,
having Reeves man, you know man the second unit. He
still gets his thirty to thirty five minutes, you know,
a minutes a night. It makes it fit a little
bit better in terms of in terms of like responsibilities,
like on the offensive end, you know, like out the gates,
you don't have the three of them trying to pass. Okay,
it's your turn, it's my turn, this, that, and the
other end, you can get another defensive body in there
alongside Luca, And I think that in itself should be
the reason why they should why they should consider it.
But all of those things together, I think also really
I think, circling back to your your original question, I
think the three of them can work it out. I
think they will work it out, and I think it
will look better this year at like as they've had
more time to play off with one another. I just
think it could be it could be helped along if
they found a way to stagger those.
Speaker 1: Minutes, right and if starting is really important to having
all three of them in the starting lineup. But that's important,
Like you could do a quick hook with Reeves and
stagger that way, and like he showed, I think, just
as a playmaker and someone on the ball, if you
wanted to, I'm sure ideally you want one of Lebron
or Luke on the court at all times. Like you
can get away with just playing Austin Reeves and giving
those two a blow.
Speaker 2: Well see, but that's the thing like when I so
when we say stagger it, I don't even mean necessarily,
but you're right, they could get away with you. I
just mean, Okay, so say Lebron needs an early blow,
then you have the two of them out there. Say
Luca gets in, you know, gets a second foul randomly,
It's not gonna happen, but randomly randomly because he reached
a little bit. You know, you can have those two.
I'm saying just manipulate the roster more, uh, to benefit
the whole. Yeah, like the whole like has to be
a starter thing. If for for one, if we're if
we're coming with that mindset and we're you know, we're
uh putting impetence of on that over the you know,
the overall product, then we're probably not going to win
anyhow or or probably you know, limiting ourselves anyway. But yeah, no,
I I I I hope it's something that they explore
at some point.
Speaker 1: So let's go through some of the top three new
editions and I would love to know your thoughts expectations
for them. We begin with DeAndre Ayton, So what are
your expectations for him? What are you what are you
kind of watching and how what have you made of
his reception from you know, media, fans, whatever.
Speaker 2: The reception is always going to be funny because anytime
you mentioned like any player going to the Lakers, it's
going to be yeah, whatever. But in particular a player
that had extremely high expectations maybe fizzled out in one place,
you know, war out as welcome to one place, and
then fizzled out in another, there's always going to be
you know, you know, speculation, like, oh he's he's a
bust or even hope from some people that it doesn't
work out. Well, I'm here to tell y'all, y'all about
to be upset because DeAndre Aiden is gonna work in
Los Angeles. I am I saying he's going to be
a twenty five and fifteen guy. No, but particularly because
of the three guys that we just mentioned, all three
of them, you know, being capable and likely incentivized to
get him going and to keep him into the flow.
I honestly think I honestly don't see a scenario again
out knock on wood health, you know your barring health.
I don't see a scenario where he can't still get
his numbers and be fed in a you know, like
in a way to motivate him to stay active and
stay connected on both ends of the court dominant dominating. No,
but but like legitimately a sixteen and eleven guy. Honestly,
I I kind of don't see. I don't see any
way that that does not take place. And if you
can tell me, and yes, Dan, you know it's not
about numbers, but if you tell me that they have
a solid defensive presence, that isn't just a term style
and can actually pick somebody up. You'll win one of
the you know, when somebody gets loose, that will serve
as a lot of threat, serve as a guy that
can also hit in the mid range in order to
you like your space things can simply be a presence
and someone that JJ will actually play, like you know,
in meaningful minutes when it matters. I would say that
is a you know that that is a positive player
for these leaders.
Speaker 1: I think offensively, they'll probably get frustrated with him at points,
but just because you have the level of creation around him,
like you mentioned him being able to get spoon fed,
I think that's going to end up being perfectly fine.
And like you said, sixteen points a game. Yeah, he'll
do some of the stuff where he's fading away when
he could have a layup or whatever, but that's just
like sort of beate an experience. I think he's set
up to succeed. What I probably would worry about is
I don't this isn't like the level of consistent defender
that we saw while he was in like twenty twenty one,
like being his absolute peak, and I think we saw
like maybe a little bit of flashes that at points
like since then. But this isn't like someone who is
rated as the most effective rim protector since that twenty
twenty one campaign. Like you look at some of the
percentage of his shots contested at the rim, they're not
actually like that high relative to a big man. And
that's something that might stand out where if you're looking
at because like your options after eight and then we'll
get into just the secondary rotation, but the backup center
position is unless you're feeling really good about Hayes or
Christian Coloco, like, you're not in a great spot either.
So I worry about if you're looking at him to
be a defensive anchor. I think you're looking for something
that if it was ever there, like it's it feels
like it's gone now. But you have La Rabia, you
have Smart, you have gave Vincent. It does feel no more.
Jordan go Win. I thought he was really good defensively
for them. Maybe you have enough perimeter defenders to allow
him to maybe do what he does best where he
doesn't have to make as many reads. But it's again
that's my concern with the eight and thing. I think
he's going to be just in terms of a body.
He'll probably be inconsistent on the glass, but he's in
the perfect offensive situation. I just don't know. You might
see some really high highs for Ayton defensively, but as
a consistent, like defensive stalwart presence. I have my dats
as all.
Speaker 2: No, that's an excellent point, and I think you're exactly right.
You'll he'll have his moments. He'll have like a random
game where he blocks four shots. But I I don't
I don't think there's a quote unquote anchor out there.
I think, you know, like to the point that you
just made, it has to be by committee, and it
has to there has to be a good defensive scheme
that everybody's brought into put. You'll put simply if you
now suddenly have some better point of attack defenders and
better wings that can you know, that can defend, the
hope would be that you wouldn't. It wouldn't just be
a free for all or just a straight path to
know to the rim like it was for you know,
for large stretches, uh, you know, and unfortunate stretches you know,
for last year's team. I agree with you the big
man rotation. I'm certainly not. I'm certainly not comfortable with it.
I think and and and I and I know you're
gonna go there eventually. I do think that is an
area that you know that that does need to be
improved upon. And I think it's actually somewhere that they'll
look to. They'll look to within within the season.
Speaker 1: And the other thing too that you made me think
of is if you're gonna from before, if you're gonna
play Lebron, Luca and Reeves together all at once, you
are putting a lot of pressure on DeAndre in defensively
because the perfect way to round out that lineup right
now is probably offensively. It's really like, it's probably defensively,
it's probably the Rabi. I don't think you want to go.
I guess you could go it's smart there, but that's
gonna be like if if DeAndre Ayton is going to
prove everybody wrong, those are the minutes I think in
which he can do it. Most is that we look
back and say, oh, the Lakers have like a league
average defense with Lebron Luke for fifteen hundred minute whatever
much they end up playing like with Lebron, Luca and
Reeves on the court when they when they were with Aton.
Speaker 2: And straight out that scenario is the reason why, honestly,
even more so than the you know, like you know
then like the overlapping offensive skills, that's the reason why
I'm more in favor of the Reeves coming off the bench. Deal.
You have to quite frankly, having the three of them together,
you're already stepping in you You're already steping in a
bear trap. Yeah, to the point where those other two
guys have to not only be perfect defensively, but they're
gonna have to be like have like, you know, like
great nights defensively, And I don't I don't know to
your point, I don't know if expecting that on a
consistent basis from you know that you know from Aden
is realistic.
Speaker 1: How do you feel about the Marcus Smart addition?
Speaker 2: So I recognize everybody's like, hey, it's not twenty twenty one. Yeah,
I understand that he's still signific can lead better than
anything that they've been thrown out there the last couple
of years in terms of a point of attack defender.
So if he's healthy, big, if if he can stay
on the court sixty games, I think this is an
incredible pickup. If he's healthy come postseason, I think this
is an incredible pickup. If he's not, Ultimately, it doesn't matter,
you know, like it was a swing, it was a
swing and a miss. But simply having someone that has
been through the and again I do I do far
too much of this, like oh been through the fires
and yeel it. But it's true, like that matters.
Speaker 1: It does.
Speaker 2: It does matter. You're like that, you know, like you know,
lead and been a productive member and supportive member on
winning teams. To me, that matters more than what I
saw from him in a random scenario in Washington, in
a random scenario in Memphis, two places where he had
no intention of ever ever going. And I think a
lot of times we as like like basketball fans in fanalist,
we forget that, you know, like the human side of it,
or we don't take that into account nearly as much
or you know, nearly as much as it should be.
Marcus Mart's thirty one years old. He is not you know,
he's not forty one. I'm not saying I'm expecting to
be back to the defensive player of the year, you know,
like status. But if he can approximate eighty five percent
of that. Again, that is so significantly better than what
we've had, you know, for any consistent basis that in
itself is a win.
Speaker 1: And the other thing, too, is just in Memphis specifically,
when he was healthy, he needed to do too much offensively,
and the Lakers in less catastrophe strikes. Yeah, should never
be in a position where they're relying on Marcus Smart
for any type of real material table setting from scratch offense,
like because he will turn the ball over a bunch
and even just as a three point shooter, he's never
been the greatest, but he's had like a couple outlier
seasons or got so and if he's getting open shots
and he's willing to play the more of a spot
up role, I like the Again it's I'm I find
myself in the middle. Where's I don't think that this
was like the best signing of the summer for any team,
but everything you said just rings true. And I think
there's a chance that he becomes if he's healthy, looks
better because he's in a better role that where again,
I just keep going back to Memphis, Washington is whatever,
like that stint there, Yeah, they needed him to do
too much on offense, and even dating back to his
days in Boston that by and large, unless you were
five out around or four out around him, that was
just never going to be a strong suit of his.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's about positioning, and it's about, you know,
like the role you're being asked to do. Yet, if
you're if you were coming into this year expecting him
to be you know, vintage Rajeon Rondo, Hey, look, you
you are, you are in trouble if you simply need
him to play a role, I think you know, I
think you can get that.
Speaker 1: How do you feel about Jake Lavia I, you.
Speaker 2: Know, honestly, I'm excited about him simply because, unlike a
lot of people, I'm gonna admit I didn't know anything
about his game. I remember I've seen him out there
on the court before, and especially garbage time, and quite frankly,
I was always like, oh cool, you know, that's cool.
But then all of a sudden, you get you get
the guy you're like on your roster, and you start
looking into him a little bit more you recognize, Okay,
there's obvious inconsistencies, but there's a player there. I don't know,
if you know, like you know, to your point earlier,
if JJ is going to be able to pull the
JJ out of him. But to me, I at least
look at it like he's a six to eight guy
that's rangey. I recognize he doesn't shoot a ton of threes,
but if I'm not mistaken, he's like a thirty seven
percent you know, you know, shoot her from deep, you know,
for his career. One year he shot like four and
a half another but on average he's under three. If
you can get you know, like knock that up a
bit and have the same you know, type of efficiency
as well as a guy that's scrappy and you know
a little bit you know, rangey on defense, I look
at it like world beater, no good fit, very potentially
very good fit. Yes, so I'm not jumping out the
window on it, but I'm excited about it because like, look,
I think they could have done work. They they've certainly
done worse in the past.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's just I don't know how much
I buy into him as like a three point shooter,
but as a quick decision maker, getting off the ball
quickly and then being able to not just defend but
be moved around on the defensive end. I think that'll
be super valuable for them. I'm curious just what he
winds up looking like on offense, but I think for
the value they got him, I think I think that, like,
that's the signing this is stupid, that's the signing of
theirs that I'm most excited about, because I feel like,
as a connective tissue person on the perimeter, when is
the last time the Lakers had that?
Speaker 2: No, I don't even think that's stupid. I actually think
that makes sense. Like the look the at and thing,
it's it. We kind we know what that is at
its best and cool, uh you know, you know, smart,
we know what that is at its best, and it's
not likely to get back there, but if it gets
anywhere close to it cool. This is an untapped This
is an untapped guy. This is a this is a
young guy that's moved around, played scenarios that weren't necessarily
you know, you know, the best, and now all of
a sudden he's on a big stage under under the
bright lights, with players that you would think will maximize
what he know what he can do, and if the
opportunity is like if there's a chance for him to
you know, to turn into something it's gonna you know, like,
this is your opportunity, So I get there. I'm the
only reason why I wasn't as forceful about it is
because I was like, people are gonna think I'm putting
extras on it. But I mean, I'm very excited about
Jacob reed like I am.
Speaker 1: And I think you hit it on the head when
you said he's still sort of this mystery box despite
like we know what, He've had a good season in
Memphiscus trade to Sacram I know, had like pretty good
moments there, but he's still sort of just this mystery box.
And so I think we're I'm naturally more gravitating towards him.
Here's a question, not Ruy Hachimora division, who is the
second Who's the Who's the most important, like secondary front
court player on this team? So you have Lebron, you
have Aton that's presumably your starting lineup after them, who's
the second most important, guess third most important? If you
want to throw Ruey into that for conversation, I.
Speaker 2: Mean it it's probably La Ravia like it. It has
to be, because look, here's the deal. I look at
it and I go, like I really want Vanda to
be all the things that a lot of people believe
that he can be. But I really have also watched
the last you know, five years of his career.
Speaker 1: Have you also watched him working on his catch and
shoot mid range jumper from the baseline for some reason,
that's because that's a shot we need people take.
Speaker 2: Again, I've watched this last I've watched it. And when
he's right physically, yes, point of attag defense guy that
can be thrown in for ten to fifteen minutes a game,
you know, you press up, do all. That's fun, that's fine.
But as crazy as it sounds, La Ravia. Look, I
don't know if he's going to be able to be this,
but they need, as currently constructed, they need a Rabia
to be that, to be that, you know, like you know,
to be that flexible guy that they can play at
the three or the four, you know, dependent upon you know,
dependent upon the roster or dependent upon you know, like
the lineup. I'd love to tell you, oh, Jackson Hayes
is gonna know, Jackson Hayes is gonna be who Jackson
Hayes is. And that's fine, you know, like you know,
like that that's great. I'd love to say Christiankaloko is
gonna be like, Oh he's gonna this is gonna be
the year where he puts it all together, where we
see the consistent I don't know, you want to talk
about a mystery box. That's a mystery box. So in
terms of like, you know, like the significant front court players,
Ruey he is what you know, we know what Ruey is,
but he's going to play a major role if he's
on this roster, and outside of him, it's you know,
for me, it's Jake Larevia because if you're asking me
who I am more optimistic for or I want to
see more fro him, between he and like a guy
like Vanderbilt, obviously it's Jake Lavia because I have not
I've seen, I've seen what I need to see from Vando. Good,
good on you, Vando. KEI keep knocking down those fifteen
foot baseline jumpers.
Speaker 1: So who is their second most important big then, like
backing up eighton who are you looking at? I think
it people default to Hayes, But is there a chance
that Coloaco sneaks in? There? Is it? If Maxi Kleeba
is healthy and how do you also to just add
a layer to it. How would you like to see
them when Aton's off the court? What do you want
to see those lineups for LA?
Speaker 2: Look like, I know what I don't want to see
and I don't want to see small ball Lebron at
the five. Do not do that anymore. Do not piss
me off. JJ. I'm telling you right now, JJ, I
know you're gonna be watching this. I know you're gonna
be sitting here like, why is Dan talking to this
asshole again? Well? You know what, Here's this.
Speaker 1: Is the reachon JJ Reddick. Avid's a listener and subscriber,
a hardware not.
Speaker 2: Hard hardwood knocks. Don't put Lebron at small but small
ball five anymore. He's too small. He you know, you're
putting them in positions to where he's going to get,
you know, run down, all for all of the reasons. Man,
it's gonna be by committee. And I hate saying that
because it sounds like a cop out answer, but like
that's the position that they've put us in. Do I
believe in Jackson Hayes about us?
Speaker 1: I can throw him?
Speaker 2: Do I believe in chrisian KloCo about the same, MAXI Kleeber. Hey,
you know what, it's great those pictures. Those pictures look great.
You are buffer is all you know, the buff is
all hell? Is it going to translate into you being
able to stay on the court? I and for and
for that reason, that is the area again that I
do think that they're going to have to address at
some point. Maybe maybe we get lucky and Jackson Hayes
back in, you know, a relative position of you know,
backup big. You know he can give you those solid
fifteen to twenty minutes. I'm just saying I'm not sold,
and obviously I don't think that they are either.
Speaker 1: I'm probably still just latching on too, like minutes from
MAXI kleb but a half decade ago, and I'm like,
you know, if he's healthy, he just might be the
like a sneaky answer for them.
Speaker 2: So when I saw that picture of him, like and
when it came out for one, I immediately thought, Okay,
is this one of those ones where like we did
with Lebron a couple of years back, and he did
with Cruso a couple of years backward. So oh no,
he is actually that buff. But you know what it
made me think, do you have Are you a Boumani
Jones listener or were you at any point I'm talking
about that people?
Speaker 1: It was one of my I know he follows a
ton of people, but when he followed me back on
Twitter years ago, that was one of them. You get
to be like, oh, he must have done that by mistake.
It was one of those my job, straight.
Speaker 2: Up hey and and honestly great guy. Well, back in
the day, you used to always talk about, Oh, my goodness,
I drew a blank. Okay, you're gonna have to edit.
Sorry you fuck. Wait what was in the reference to
son of a Bitch? I started thinking about young Bomani.
Speaker 1: He's been around, He's been around a minute now?
Speaker 2: Was a question? Was the question? What was the question
that you just asked.
Speaker 1: Oh about their Maxi Kleba about a guy?
Speaker 2: Okay, so again, your matching looks great. But it made
me think of the old Bomani saying where it's always
the old washed up person that says, I'm in the
best I'm in the best shape of my life, best
shape of my career, and that's when you know it's over.
I'd like to be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. I
hope MAXI can get in there and play sixty five games,
you know, provide, be a minute eater, provide you know,
all types of this, that and the other. But I
am not impressed by it. You know, like the way
you look necessarily in your offseason workout when you've been
in your offseason workout for the better part of two
and a half years.
Speaker 1: That's why I'm sort of convinced that they are gonna
go just looking at the alternative, unless you like Christiankaloco
being on a two way. I don't know how many
minutes they're gonna play him. I do feel like they
are gonna maybe lean smaller again, But then you look
at their roster and it's well, without the worrying Phinny
Smith there, I might get a little bit harder to
do that, which is a good what you want. That's
probably a good thing. I did want to ask, though,
Ruyachi Mora. I didn't send a question about him in
the outline. Does he become any more expendable with the
way the roster is built now, because I've seen a
lot of people kind of just write off his three
point shooting as well, look who he's being set up
by and it's well, that's kind of the entire fucking
point to be a play finisher from the perimeter like that,
who can do some other stuff. But when you have
a roster that does feel like it's skews so heavily
towards offense, what is his kind of like, how do
you view him in the context of LA's present and future?
Speaker 2: What what I would imagine your scene, especially if it's
from Lakers fans when it comes to him, is an
annoyance of how it looks in the postseason repeatedly, but
by and large, Ruey is a very good minutes eater.
He is a very good you know, like you know,
regular season option you like to have in your rotation.
Is he perfect? Of course not, like that's the reason
why they were able to get him for second round
picks a couple of years like, you know, a couple
of years back. But in terms of what he specifically provides,
I think he'll still play a role. Again, this is
if he's on the roster, I think he'll still play
a role. I think you'll still be a guy that
you know, like gets you twenty five, you know, twenty
five or so minutes a night. He's still going to
be a guy that can you know, that can stretch
the floor. Like whether it's because he's being set up
by you know, like all of those guys are not,
he's knocking him down, and that is the deal. That's
the objective when it when it comes to yeah, yeah,
I think so, I guess the answer is I think
he's going to be a big part of the rotation
once again. And when it comes down to the nitty gritty,
when it actually matters, it'll be great to see if
he can make adjustments and pick up schemes and do
all the little pay attention to all the little things
that would actually keep him on the court for AJJ
Reddick team.
Speaker 1: Can we go through just some of your early impressions
or lasting impressions of the quote unquote youngsters that are
on this roster. Sure, let's begin with Dalton connect.
Speaker 2: All right, as crazy as it sounds, especially because he's
still a second year player, but to a degree, excuse me,
to a degree, it's put up or shut up. And
what I mean by that not saying put up her,
shut up, or lose your place in the league. I'm
saying put up her, shut up, or lose your place
on this roster. So he fell out of the rotation
after being after having teammates and coaches that were seemingly
very I did for him at the beginning of the year.
Last year, he completely fell out of rotation and clearly
fell out of favor. You know, you know with the
coaching staff, the rumors are and I'm sure you saw
some of the you know clips going around, you know
the X or you know, blue Sky shout out the
Blue Sky. I'm sure you saw, you know, some of
that stuff going around where it would show JJ frustrated
because he just set up a play specifically for him.
And I believe me as a former coach, I I
totally understand that that is incredibly frustrating. It's like you
worked on it in practice, you worked, you know, you
had it down, We went through it in the pregame,
you had it down, and then when you get out there,
all of a sudden, you know, your brain turns in
the in the in the massed potatoes, what happened. I
understand that frustration, But if he's going to be on
this team, he's gonna need to you figure that out.
Like it it's just that simple. I think there's problem
I think there's still promised there. I'm not buying into like, oh,
you know, around the league, they don't even see him
as a second round guy. I think that given the circumstance,
if he's in a different situation, he might look a
little bit better. But being on this roster, it's gonna
be difficult for him to stay in the rotation or
even crack the rotation, specifically because of those you know,
because of the weaknesses that he has, they seem to
be you know, triggers for this coaching staff.
Speaker 1: If that's the case, where it doesn't look like he's
gonna crack the rotation, you almost should trade him this
season because at some point he loses that first round prospect.
Mystique and I would argue it would be after a
sophomore season in which maybe he hasn't it maybe it's
not even that he hasn't done much. Perhaps he does
play well, but that they decide, I mean, we got
Austin Reeves and like kay Vincent's here, Marcus smartest here,
and like we have all these other more seasoned, better
perimeter bodies. If there's not a role for him that
I'm not saying trade him for a top fifty five
protected second round pick. But there's kind of an urgency
to just be like, you don't want whatever trade value
he has to plunge. Unless you have you're willing to
stomach it and say, well, no, like we're going to
have a role for him by year three, Like there's
a long term plan like that in place.
Speaker 2: I think, I'll say straight up, I think if he
doesn't come out and look incredible, no matter what they're
looking to move it, I think the only thing that
keeps him on this roster is if all of a
sudden it's like, oh, he put it together. I'm saying, like, yeah,
he might have a couple of games where he makes
a couple of threes or go like, looks halfway decent
the preseason. I think that if at any point an
opportunity presented it so and I'm not saying just to
dump him, but to utilize him as that asset. Like
you said, I think if that, if the opportunity presents stuff,
they do that this year. They very much show that
they were willing to do it only at the deadline
last year. So what what would have changed, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 1: How about Christian KloCo what are your thoughts on him?
Speaker 2: Good to two way player, good practice guy, good guy
to have you like you like on your roster. Seems
like he gets along with you know, with the teammates
and whatnot. But I'm not expecting him to he'll turn
into a world beater. Yes, obviously additional opportunities, you know,
additional seasoning that can make the difference, you know, with
with a young with a young player in general, like
not just a young big I'd love to see it.
I'm not holding my breath for it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's just so big.
Speaker 2: That you would you would think big athletic withs, you know,
with your wits, you know what worked himself into you
know you good condition, great size, but hasn't done enough,
you know.
Speaker 1: Doesn't always play like it either as rebounding rate for
someone who has always been like ah.
Speaker 2: And that's the thing like it, Like like I I'm
always hesitant when it comes to young players to not
just be like, oh many stinks whatever, But I've got
to see it. I am one of those like you
got to show me like it that on paper it
can look great. You might have a seven foot four
wingspan and all that. If it's not computing out there
on the court. It does not matter, like shout out
to you, Mobamba, But.
Speaker 1: What about I do hero.
Speaker 2: I Okay, So I'm glad you brought him up. And look,
let me preface this by saying, he's a rookie. I
am never going to expect a rookie to be anything
other than a rookie. A guy that looks good some nights,
looks good for two to three minutes here and there,
and we'll frustrate the hell out of you, you know,
like you'll buy and large by the end of the game.
But in terms of the guy on the young guy
on the roster that has an opportunity to say, like, hey,
you know what, you guys need wings, you guys need
point of attack, you guys need a lively body. I
can be that for you. I'm at least excited for that,
Like I'm you know what I'm excited for. I'm excited
for the preseason because that's where a guy like him
is gonna get in and probably do something crazy and
you know, and terrible, but might get in there and
and show some things. And if he can work himself
into the you'll work himself at least into the practice rotation.
I would love to see what he can turn into.
I'm not expecting the world, but I do think he's
got the body type and the very the specific type
of game to where like he can work himself into
any rotation if he if he if he wants it.
Speaker 1: And finally, but not leastly, where you aut with Brownie James, Sir.
Speaker 2: Bronnie James is a good prospect. Man. I I measured
my I measured. I wasn't being silly. I was measuring
how I wanted to say this. If Brownie James wasn't
named Bronnie, if he was Derrick James of the James tribe,
that iss nothing to do with you know whatever. We
would say, Okay, young guy forty, you know, you know
pick at the end of at the end of the
second round, played pretty well in the G League, like consistently,
as a matter of fact, looked good, you know, looked
pretty good in the summer league. You know, in a second,
in a second opportunity, not gonna be a wall beater,
but hey, let's see what this kick. Would We would
be saying, like, Hey, this is an exciting kid for
your team to come into camp. Let's see let's see
if he can earn it. They can see if he
can earn a spot at the end of the rotation
and see and see what can be done. But because
he's Brownie James, people are always going to be like,
what do you think that? I think he's fine? Like like,
given what he actually is, I think it's fine.
Speaker 1: Wow, it's too measured of a take. Could you go
more inflammatory? Please?
Speaker 2: I think that he's going to work himself and be
on the bench with the you know, like like a
with consistency for this year?
Speaker 1: Are you ready to enter the cookie cutter portion of
the always ready for it? We've talked some about it already,
But if you had to boil it down to this
roster's biggest need kind of looking at it on paper
and knowing what you saw last season, what do you
view it as right now?
Speaker 2: Back a big and more point of attack defense. While yes,
I'm excited about Marcus Smart, Yes I'm excited to see
what Jake Laaravia can do. Yes, I'm excited to see
what you like? What what this all looks like? Just
heading in? If I if I had to, if I
had the pinpoint, it would be no, you still need
more yes, it's yes. I mean, yes, it's good that
you have Marcus and he may be better than what
you've had, but you still need more. And yes, cool
Aighton's there, and no disrespect to the you know to
who you went to the dance with last year, But
I don't even trust you in the backup role, so
you probably need to strengthen your strengthen that area. What
about from the outside looking in, like where do you
think they most need to I.
Speaker 1: Think it's backup center, But I think you could also
look at this wrong. I'm not as worried about point
of attack defense. If we think that gave Vincent and
Marcus Marter both going to be healthy, I think what
you could get into and say, do they have enough
two way players guys who are gonna add value at
both ends of the floor. Because Dorian Finney Smith was
basically that guy last year, which is why it felt
like the on ausplits with him were insane too small
for the Timberwolve series. But like I don't really know,
like what that's not his fault, Like the Lakers were small,
the Wolves are huge, So I think it's that for
me because backups, you know what it might be backup center,
just because that feels like a dumb thing to say.
But there's questions about DeAndre Ayton as a starting center,
not in the fact that he's not an NBA player,
but do you think he's a top fifteen starting center.
The answer is maybe he could be. But if you're
saying yes right now, I would question. I have questions
if you think that Deandreton right now is one of
the fifteen best centers in the NBA.
Speaker 2: I think that, and I'm so glad you said it
that way. I think that in itself is an indicator
of where I am with aiden. While I'm excited about him.
While yes, I think you'll like if I felt if
I felt like, you know, like, yeah, that's the guy,
I wouldn't be as like, hey, you know, we're gonna
have to have somebody that can at least be there
and be available just in case.
Speaker 1: You would almost like they're in a position where you
would almost want your primary backup to be someone you
might feel comfortable starting or playing down the stretch. If
Ayton isn't getting it done for you, I'll say, defensively.
Speaker 2: Right there, exactly, no, no, exactly, And I hope you
don't ask me who is that guy, because I don't
have to go out there.
Speaker 1: I mean, it comes down to just like, well, what
assets would they be? I mean, because that's the other
thing about this team though, is let's say they can
have an opportunity, like, do we even know like they're
prioritizing flexibility and also feel like they're trying to wait
so that they can continue to accumulate tradeable draft picks.
Would they make a trade that cost them a first
round pick this season? If I had to pick, I'm
going to say no. I guess if you're so good
and so close, sure, But you also have to look
at it from their perspective of if the player they're
acquiring isn't going to close games for them, then you're
absolutely not in a position to give up a first
round pick. And I just think that I don't even
want to say the timeline, but it feels like the
vision that they've laid out trading a first round pick
runs in direct contrast to it.
Speaker 2: I think you're exactly right. They only trade a first
round pick if they believe this is a move that
makes us a title team. And we know the difference team. Oh,
I could squint and see that team win or oh no,
the Lakers are going to the finals. You know what
I mean? Like, if it's that type of opportunity, yes
it's worthwhile, and yes I think they act upon it.
But if it's a friend, like say it's like a
Mark Bryant, you know situation, No, they're not going to
do that again hopefully knocking all the wood.
Speaker 1: You just call him Mark Bryant. So Thomas Bryant. Uh
pick for Thomas Bryant. I'm here for it.
Speaker 2: I completely did, But you know what I mean, Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. What's something about this team that's like
flying under the radar, not being talked about.
Speaker 2: Enough that they honestly that they won fifty games last
year and we're right there in the mixing. Yes, I
understand the circumstances. There was only a difference between two games,
and you know between they won me they exactly they
won fifty games last year. They were right there in
the mix. And this is a better This is a
in my estimation, a significantly better roster because you do
have to factor in that Luca gut and you know
it is in this in the in the shape that
he's in compared to last year. It's not even you know,
not putting extras on it, but just compared to I know,
the rest of the West got better around them. I
completely understand that. But I think, I think what it
really is is this could be one of the rare
times where the Lakers are flying under the raidar. I
don't know how that happens, but specifically because you have
the confluence of people that you know, hate the Lakers
in general, people that hate a lot of the pieces
that you know, like that that they were able to
accumulate or have a vested reason to say like I
don't want eighton to do well, or I don't want
you know, Luca or insert you know name you know
to do well. And the fact that look, we can
also be honest. Lebron is forty one years old, so
like you had that, there's also a reason to death.
But for that reason, I think this is one of
the few times where it's like, no, like I looked
at so I looked at some you know, different mocks
and different conversations about it, and they were people that
had the Lakers are like the eighth or ninth, you know,
like you're like like in the West and I thought, Okay, look,
I'm not being overly sensitive, and yes, obviously things could
go wrong and it it could be that, but heading in,
let's be more realistic about it. So I guess that's
where I'm at.
Speaker 1: And I think what's flying under the radar is that
this is not a Boston Celtics level gap year because
they didn't go out and make this huge splash. It's
where they just traded for Luca and they should still
be really good. And even as someone who is, I
don't I wouldn't say it been critical of their offseason,
but I've I've had questions about it. What was the
move out there that they did not make that everyone
thought was going to transform them? Because I think that's
important context. And one I see the most is just,
wellhy wouldn't they just go out and get Walker Kessler? One?
I don't know if they had enough with the Walker
Kessler is a generational, generationally effective rim protector. I'm not
sure the Jazz are just giving him up for a
first round pick in Dalton, connect I'd probably say no.
And two, while he is that good of a rim protector,
he's not the type of big you necessarily want to
play alongside Luca the entire time, and I don't think
he would have made them. We're gonna say, yeah, there's
the Nuggets, the thunder the Lakers, like, I don't think
that that's what would have happened. So what seems to
be flying under the raiders that they have. They showed restraint.
They didn't completely punt on this coming season, and I
think that's where I'm at.
Speaker 2: I you know what, if you like it, I love it. No, like, seriously, seriously,
I agree with you one hundred percent. The Walker Kessler
of it all. It's it's funny. But when people people
act like, oh, well, we put it into the trade machine.
And I know this is you know, commentary that's been
stated on the podcasts and shows many times. But people
act like, oh, if we put it into the trade
machine and it works, well, then it just should have worked.
First of all, you're dealing with a scenario where the
Lakers had just come off of a deal that that
fell through. But reportedly the Jazz felt as though they
got kind of blindsided. It didn't even recognize that they
you know, excuse me, no, scramy, let me start that
over again. You're coming off a deal where reportedly the
Jazz were blindsided and didn't realize that they were assisting
the Lakers and getting the productions. So let me tell
you right now, I never believe in because like people
lie straight out all the time. But no, but if
that's true. But if that's true, does anyone in their
right mind think that the that the Utah Jazzer then
going to turn around and say, hey, let me give
you a title contender too. Let me let me let
let you know, I know it's not the perfect you know,
feel fit alongside Luca, but if you add Walker Kesler
in this, in the this roster, I'm at least having
the conversation of Okay, well, you know, hey, what can
we do? You know what I mean? I don't think
that was realistic. So yeah, I I I think a
lot of times people get caught up in like, oh,
because the Internet's talking about something it was an actual reality,
when in reality it was just the Internet talking about
some shit. Man.
Speaker 1: So how deep do you expect their rotation to run?
And when you're just mapping out if we're to let's
fast over to the end of the season, who are
the ten players that will be most involved in that rotation.
Speaker 2: I hope that they go you know, nine to ten deep.
I think they'll probably go eight nine deep. And that's
even probably me being optimistic the obvious one, you know,
obviously you know Luca Austin, Marcus Smart Lebron and I'm
cheating by going off of your notes that you so kind,
We're so kind this year. You know, you know, you
know DeAndre Aiden the reserves. Yes, I agree, Ruy and
Jake will likely be your first, you know, like off
the bench again, I will say, I am hoping, I
even if it's unrealistic, I am hoping that you know,
like you know, Adull can work himself into that same
you know convers.
Speaker 1: I think Pete, who's like from Laker Film Room, who
if he just says anything, I'll just adopt it as
my own opinion because he's so smart, is like intrigued
by the idea of him playing small ball five and
so you know what, when you look at their backup
five options, I'm like, yeah, just fucking try it, sure.
Speaker 2: You know, Okay. So that also leads me to another thing.
I've seen him listen at six six, I've seen him
listen at six eight. I recognize as a young man.
He may have grown. If he's legitimately six eight, they
better find a way to get know, like, get this
guy worked in here so in some way or if
he if.
Speaker 1: He, my response is bam outa bios six y nine.
So let it happen.
Speaker 2: Let's go, you know, let's go. So yeah, like all
of those guys, I hope, you know, like again Ricky,
I understand that, you know, the restrictions there. I hope
he's able to work himself in there. But after that,
it's you know, yeah, it's Gabe Vincent. He's you know,
he's a solid. I know Lakers fans have been ready
to get rid of him since he you know, made it,
made it to the roster.
Speaker 1: Oh man, I love that sign. When they made it, though,
if he gave him so much, so much credit for it.
Speaker 2: And and you know what, it sounded good. It sounded good.
And then all of a sudden he's no longer in
that Miami health situation and uh, he's not able to
stay healthy initially, Yeah, Air quotes on that. I think
the end of the rotation is likely. It's likely not
going to see the court very much, whether it's Jered
Vanderbilt Maxi Kleeber or you know Dalton connect I recognized,
I did not mention him. I I don't want it
to sound like I'm so low on him where I'm like, oh,
get this guy off the Russer. I'm just saying that
it seems like they are so.
Speaker 1: So this is to some extent matchup dependent. But what
do you think will wind up being their most used
closing unit? Do you default to the starting five or
do you think that JJ Reddick is gonna fuck not
fox in fiddle with one or two of those spots.
Speaker 2: I think it ends up being a combination of obviously
Luca Lebron, probably Aiden, but like you know, like we
gonna mentioned earlier, it's going to be dependent upon how
effective he's been Austin and either Smart or La Ravia
or even Ruby, dependent upon who's like, who's flowing, who's
got the better matchup, and who's got it going on
a given night.
Speaker 1: They seem like, and I hope I don't say this
about every team, they seem like one of the teams
that will change their closing unit based on the matchup.
I think more than most the way that they're like
the there might be three spots that feel like they're
penciled in, penciled in stone. My god, I can't talk
the past two minutes that they're etched in stone.
Speaker 2: I'm with you, no, I agree with you. Like it
beyond those three guys, it really is probably like, Okay,
who's got it today? Who's got it? You know? And
I hate to always refer back to twenty twenty, I
know people whatever, but like that's how they won that year.
It wasn't like, oh, okay, like this is the starting
or this is the starting and closing five. It was
who's playing well right now? And if you're not, take
a seat, support your team and go on about But really,
like that's what I feel like it is gonna be
the case.
Speaker 1: Is there a weird o lineup? You are hoping that
JJ Reddick tries out this year?
Speaker 2: All right, I think I've already kind of put it
out there, but it's very clear I want my man
in the mix. But so let me get Marcus Smart
alongside Luca next to la Rabia ad an eighteen. Now
I'm saying I want this lineup when Lebron takes his
first rest in the you know or in the you know,
late late first quarter give me surround Luca with rangy
guys that can defend, run the court and be lobb
and be lob options. Let me see what it looks like.
Speaker 1: Mine would actually be just subing Lebron for eight And
let's get to a dude playing the small ball five
of the time. I mean, with him La Rabia smart,
that should be a lot of guys who in fury
can defend defensively. I just want to see it.
Speaker 2: Why not, I'm here for it.
Speaker 1: Look, I'm willing if you're if you're concerned about defense,
you can throw Bronni James in there for Lebron and
call it. We'll call it the defensive upgrade.
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna take that shot. I'm not I'm not
gonna take debate. I'm not gonna take it. But in
a preseason game. Sure? So?
Speaker 1: Is there before we I force you to make some
predictions and we close this out, is there anything else
we haven't discussed that you think needs to be talked about?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Really, I mean, I you know again, like I'm
I'm I'm generally caustiously optimistic when it comes to the Lakers.
I know that at the very least they are going
to be a part of the conversation. I'm just hoping
it's a it's a fun part of it. I think
I think, uh, you know, I think they're gonna be
competitive in a in a very competitive Western conference, and
the hope is that they do something to continue to
improve the roster so that they can be in that
final mix. They're that top three mix, because it's anybody's
ball game if you're at least in that. But yeah, no,
like heading in, I'm excited about it, and uh, you know,
just want everybody to be out there when it matters.
Speaker 1: Is there like a big that you've thought about as
because they could basically assuming they would have to mess
with their books a little bit, but they could. They're
in a spot where if their payroll holds or they
cut a little bit, they could sign anybody. I'm a
buy out market midseason. Have you identified a big that
you Is it Nicole Avutovitch that's not going to give
you much defense even though he'd be another floor spacer
in there. There's just like a center that you're hoping like, yeah, like,
let's hope he shakes loose mid season.
Speaker 2: It it it the buy out realistic options. It would
probably be be Voochs. But I am one of those
people that still wants Nick Claxon. I think he just
fits so much of what they would you know, what
they could use obviously, you know they're not easy ways
to make that happen. You're dealing with human beings. Who
knows if he would be willing to you know, you know,
you go from a starting role to a staggered role.
The guy that you probably would close with the Lakers
if you know, if you were here, you know, Nick,
in case you ever watched this, Hey, Nick, you know
you know he's sitting next to JJ right now. They're
gonna I don't know how they're they're in the live feed,
but they're already on this. So yeah, Nick, know what
it is. No, somebody like that is still what I
hope they wind up doing.
Speaker 1: I this is more of a trade candidate, and he
makes less than like a Gay Vincent or a Maxi Kleiba.
So I don't know what you need to sweeten it,
but I would be interested to see what Jalen Smith
looks like in l A kind of more of a
floor space than going to be that traditional lob threat.
But I think he can do some things on defense
at least be moved around. That would be like, and
just as someone who's not going to nuke your future payroll,
and that seems actually gettable because who the heck knows
what Chicago is going to end up doing. I would
be interested to see that. And I also, just as
a flyer, I don't know why the Pelicans would help
them out. This is I this is not me being
an a hole. Karlo Makovic in New Orleans is sign
kind of a stretch guy that actually has real pop.
I think. I'm just I'd be curious what's to take
to get him. And then would the Lakers play him?
That's a different story. But he had some moments towards
the end of like the Talent of last season, and
I was just like, now they have Derek Queen to
have eaves me see, I'm not sure how much he's
gonna actually play with Cavon Looney too, So I'm like, oh,
is he is he gettable? But for a team like
the Lakers, it's would they actually play him?
Speaker 2: What are you gonna do with him? I should just
specify when I mentioned Nick Klaxon, I wasn't talking about
as a bio candidates.
Speaker 1: Oh no, yeah, no, I know, I know for sure.
Yeah yeah, I mean, you know who'd be interesting. I
just don't know how you get him. As if the
Knicks decide to move on for Mitchell Robinson.
Speaker 2: Hey, you know, I could see a scenario where they do,
but I mean like that would be you know, steps
steps down the road. If you can give Mitchell Robson, yeah, hey,
bring me back because we having a different conversation. My
you know, my level of optimism would go significantly higher.
Speaker 1: And you know what a biout candidate. I'm surprised I
should be mentioning his name for any team that needs
a center. Rob Williams r W three in Portland. Just
you have young, handsome, young Caynson but young handsome and
Donovan Klingon if they don't plan on resigning him, like
and maybe maybe they're moving him, but maybe he gets
moved as part of another trade and then brought out.
That is someone who if he ends up being a
buyout candidate, if he is seventy five percent healthy, just
an ideal fit alongside Luca.
Speaker 2: When they were talking about him in the summer as
a move that they were going to make, I didn't
want it, but you talked to me about a as
a buyout candidate. Exactly, take a flyer on it. What's
the worst, you know, what's the worst that could possibly
happen like that? That would be incredible. So yeah, like
so if you do to answer your US, top of
the you know, the top person I would want would
be a guy like Rob Williams, then maybe like a
who's I'm talking about? Biocn Is? Then maybe like a Vusevich,
you know, the guilt deal if they're actually making a
move Nick Claxon, because like I said, I do think that.
Speaker 1: He would be he would be gn He is so
switchable on defense, he would be gnarly.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Nick Claxton, Claston, Lebron Laravia Luke obviously and smart
on the like on the court at a time, or
like any variation of what we just said, like yeah,
that would be yeah, I will be here for that.
Speaker 1: How many games do you have this team winning and
where do you see them finishing in the you know,
the larger Western Conference picture.
Speaker 2: If they make a move, a consolidation move, a move
to strengthen you know, maybe they don't have ten you know,
rotation guys. But now all of a sudden you've got
eight solid guys and then you know, backups or whatever.
I think they'll fall in that you know, three to
four range. If they don't and they just stay as is,
because I'm not one that's gonna say like, oh this
is gonna work, and this is gonna work, I'll temper
things and I'll say somewhere in that five six ish
type range, I think they're like, ultimately, stay out of
the plan in and and and you're obviously much better
suited you You have a you probably have a much
easier path to the postseason because you don't want to.
You know, you don't need Okay see in the first round.
You don't need Denver in the first round. You don't
need Houston in the first round. If you can avoid
those like you're eventually gonna have to play at least one.
It's not two of those got you know, two of
those teams. But if you can avoid them in the
first round and get your and get yourself and get
yourself situated, well, then it's into anybody's ball game. Answer is,
I think they're gonna win anywhere between fifty and fifty
three games. Big you know, big surprise right around the
same level of last year, even though I think that
they're significantly improved. As I mentioned, I think the rest
of the conference also improved, so in terms of in
terms of the actual seting, it might be another scenario
where we've got like all of those teams bunched up
once again, and you know, then it's just like a
rustling roulette situation.
Speaker 1: Good luck putting on your playoff goggles and you can't
pick the thunder. So I feel like that would be answer.
What's a matchup that you either find for the Lakers
that would be intriguing concerning wherever, wherever you want to
take it.
Speaker 2: Houston. And the reason is is because I am in
the minority. Whereas while yes, to be clear, because actually
KD might listen to this or gets it gets aggregated.
Speaker 1: Ibe he would who knows what.
Speaker 2: I'm saying, KD is, you're one of my favorite players
they ever played a game the last few years. The impact,
the actual like you like, the tangible impact that can
be that we can see has not been that. I
look at that and I go, They've got a lot
of intriguing parts and on paper they look great, but
they might also be paper champs. So until you know,
and until so until they you know, they proved me
wrong and win sixty five games and go into the
postseason looking like a looking like a shredder. That's the
you know, that's a matchup that's intriguing to me. Yeah,
of the big names of the big.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean just because their shooting guard is bigger
than the Lakers backup center at this point, I think so.
Speaker 2: Not ideal. And we saw and we saw what happens
when you you go in with talented players that are
under significantly entersized.
Speaker 1: Just last year, mister jabbari A Davis I Heart podcast
producer extraordinary. Can I get one more prediction for the
Lakers this coming season? It can be whatever you want.
Speaker 2: Got you. Luca is going to win his first m
v P and DeAndre Ayton he's not going to win it,
but you know how these conversations go, He's going to
be in the conversation for most improved. Whether that is
a real statement or not, he will be because the
conversation around him will be that much better.
Speaker 1: Yeah, does he have betting odds for that?
Speaker 2: Because I got him at I got him at plus
forty thousand, I got him at plus forty thousand.
Speaker 1: It's the I mean, there's the he's gonna get the
Lake thirty four nationally televised games, right, So if he
plays well and like a good amount of those, the
voters will see it and there's a chance that his
numbers just explode. Would he be the I'm trying to
think of who's the last person that would have He's
kind of at this career pinnacle shrinks down and then
comes back and wins most And I don't know if
that there's that because normally the trajectory is it's the
guy they want, everyone wants to identify, like the next star.
It's never gonna be when okay, there it is.
Speaker 2: Hold on, I'm gonna bring up this, but it's Julius Randall.
Speaker 1: That Yeah, No, it's absolutely him, that's correct. I don't know,
you know, his pinnacle before that though, is never eight
in level, right, because there was a point where people
thought he was a top five center. I don't think
he ever was, but there was a point where people felt.
Speaker 2: That his expectations weren't quite the same. But I would
say in terms of effectiveness, in terms of like what
they did out there, it was it was it was
close enough to where he's probably the best or most
likely you could say Laurie Markinen, you know when he
finally got you know, even more of an opportunity, well
finally sayed healthy enough to win it in twenty twenty three.
But you was probably the guy that, uh that fits
the bill.
Speaker 1: So there's precedent. Yep Jabari, this was great as always.
Are you just able to tell our audience where they
could find you and all the fantastic work that you're
doing right now.
Speaker 2: Dan, I I swear I actually mean these platitudes every year.
This is fantastic every year. This is an honor. I
like anybody that listens to this show, watches the show,
pays attention to the you know, like the quality content
that you you'll produce, whether you'll be a Bleacher Report
or the Fanta, all of it is fantastic. So being
able to have these basketball conversation with you, it is great.
Like every summer, I look forward to it. So thank
you all of that. To say, I'm still Lucas Dan Mitched,
I'm still with iHeart still, you know, working on different shows,
working on a show called goat h g O t
E greatest of their era with Seth Curry and Travon Edwards.
They're fantastic. They have a great conversation, you know, centered
around basketball, and I get to you know, you know,
do the supportive stuff you know, you know for that show.
Speaker 1: Also, when you get Chris Bouche into one of their episodes,
can you somehow throw an Easter egg in there for me?
Speaker 2: I will try to find a way. But the thing
of it is is if even if it's on the page,
that doesn't necessarily mean they're gonna say it.
Speaker 1: That's a good test. Then So if you're doing like
greatest Stretch, big men of their era, you throw Chris
Bouchet into a list, see if they say it, yeah.
Speaker 2: Honorable mentioned someway or another. Yeah, I'll do my best.
But any other than that, other iHeart shows. Doing one
for cab on stage, uh, doing some background for that.
It's been a lot of fun. Hopefully I can continue
to do it.
Speaker 1: Jabari, I appreciate the kind words. I appreciate you coming
back every year even more. It's always great to be
able to pick your brain about this team. I will
have the link to his social stuff in the YouTube
and podcast description until next time, And as always, one
I'm gonna be pestering you again down the line. And
two shout out frank Ni la China